Switch



May 24, 1938. R, w T 2,118,528

SWITCH 7 Filed Sept.- ll, 1937 V 46 msggiT q INVENTOR. R4 YW 5 COT T BY A TTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SWITCH Ray W. Scott, Detroit, Mich, 'assignor to Bendix Home Appliances, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. 163,357

8' Claims.

This invention relates toswitches, and is illustrated as embodied in a switch suitable for operation by the float of an automatic washing machine An object of the invention is to provide a snapaction switch which can be efiectively and reliably operated by the relatively small power available from the movements of such a float, or the equivalent. Various features of novelty relate tothe construction and arrangement of the parts to give suflicient sensitivity of operation without interfering with the certainty and effectiveness of the'snap action. I

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing,v in which: I

Figure l is a side elevation of the switch, with the contacts in engagement, and with the casing removed from its mounting in the washing machine;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the contacts separated;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view; Y Figure 4is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form.

The particular switches shown are intended for operation by the float (not shown) of an automatic washing machine of the type described and claimed in application No. 129,429; flled March 6, 1937-, by Rex Earl Bassett, Jr., and John W. Chamberlin, and in application No. 129,412, filed March 6, 1937, by Adiel Yl Dodge.

The float is intended to be connected, by a connecting rod or link (not shown), with a lever ill having one end formed into an eye l2 to con stitute attaching means, and having its other end bent at right angles to form a pivot l4 mounted in lugs l6 forming part oi a switch casing l8 or'other support. The p icular lever l8 illustrated is made from a piece of heavy wire.

The casing 18 may be molded or otherwise formed, and is preferably made of one ofthe l phenolic condensation materials which forms a good insulator. The casing 18 cooperates with the part of' the washing machine chassis to which it is secured (for example by screws threaded into sockets 22) to house the switch described below.

A seat 241s molded into one end of the casing,. and on this are secured by means such as a screw 26 two spring metal'- contacts 2| and 3G separated by an insulator pipes 32. An insulator bushmg 34 is sleeved on the screw 2. The contacts 2! and 30 have spaced ends 36 and 30 to which may be attached in any desired manner the wires I leading to the circuit to be controlled by the float.

The contacts 28 and 30 are biased to spring yieldingly apart, and normally separate to break the circuit containing the switch. The ends of the contacts carry suitable contact parts 40 and 42 which can be brought into engagement to close the circuit.

The lower contact 30 also carries at its end a thrust button M or the like yieldingly held *agains a snap member such as abowed leaf spring 46 confined at its ends, by a post 48 rigid with the casing l8, and by one wall of the casing. The post 48 and the casing wall are notched to receive the ends of the bowed spring 46.

The ends of the contacts 28 and 30, and the center of the bowed spring 46 against which the.

contact 30 yieldingly holds its thrust part it, are embraced between spaced parts such as jaws Eli and 52, shown formed as integral parts of a member 54 of insulating material. Member 5% passes through a slot 56 in the sidewall oi the casing ill, and is movable in a vertical plane at right angles to the contacts 28 and 30. It is mounted on a pivot carried by the casing it, the pivot shown being the transverse portion M of the lever Hi, the lever ID has another transverse portion 58 seated in a slot 60 formed in the edge of member 54, 0 that the lever oscillates member i l inboth rections. v

Member 54 is preferably formed with lugs 62 and 64 engageable with the side wall of the cosing l8 and serving as stops predetermining the open and closed positions of the movable switch parts.

The distance between jaws 50 and 52 is slightly greater than the combined thickness of the parts 2B--30-40--4244 received between them, giv-.

ing a clearance between contact parts 40 and 42 when the switch is open (Figure 2) and between jaw 52 and the bowed spring. when the switch is closed (Figure 1).

In operation, when the float (and therefore the lever ill) I is-down, with the machine empty and while it is filling to a predetermined level, the switch is closed as shown in Figure 1. As

the float rises, lever in is rocked upwardly, gradually tensioning the bowed spring 46 downwardly until, at some predetermined float level, the spring 48 snaps past center to the position of Figure 2. This permits the contactsto separate and opens the switch.

The reverse happens as the float drops during the draining of the machine, the spring 46 being tensioned upwardly by jaw 52 until at a predetermined float level the bowed spring 48 v secured to two seats I24 on opposite sides of the casing H8. i

It will be noted that lever III has a very long lever arm, thereby giving very sensitive operaare closed, all of the moving parts are at all times spring-loaded in positions determined by the stops 6! and 64. V

While two illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to those particular embodiments, or otherwise than by the terms oi. the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch comprising a casing, a member pivoted on the casing and having two stops engageable with the casing to determine two extreme positions and which is provided inside the casing with spaced jaws, spring contacts inside the casing one of which is biased toward and yieldingly held against one of said jaws and the other of which is biased to spring yieldingly away from said one contact and said one jaw thereby tending to separate said contacts, and a bowed resilient member confined at its ends and arranged at its center between the other jaw and said other contact and which is operated by movement of the jaws to snap suddenly past its center position in opposite directions to close and separate said contacts.

2. A switch comprising a casing, a member movably mounted on the casing and which is provided inside the casing with spaced jaws,

spring contacts inside the casing one of which n is biased toward and yieldingly held against one of said jaws and the other of which is biased to spring yieldingly away from said one contact and said one jaw thereby tending to separate said contacts, and a bowed resilient member confined at its ends and arranged at its center between the other jaw and said other contact and which is operated by movements of the jaws to snap suddenly past its center position .in opposite directions toclose and separate said contacts.

3. A switch comprising a pair of spring contacts engageable with eachother and biased to spring yieldingly apart, a bowed leaf spring confined at its ends and with its center engaging the end oi one of said contacts and with said one contact yieldingly held against said center, said bowed leaf spring in one position permitting the contacts to separate and when snapped past center to its other position holding said contacts in engagement, and operating means including connected spaced parts between which the ends of the contacts and the center of the bowed spring are arranged and which parts are movable to cause the bowed spring to snap back and forth past center.

4. A switch comprising a pair of spring contacts engageable with each other and biased to spring yieldingly apart, a bowed resilient member confined so that it passes with a snap action between two positions and with its center engaging the end of one of said contacts and with said one contact yieldingly held against said center, said bowed member in one position permitting the contacts to separate and when snapped past center to its other position holding said contacts in engagement, and operating means including connected spaced parts between which the ends ot the contacts and the center of the bowed member are arranged and which parts are movable to cause the bowed member to snap back and forthpast center;

5.- A switch comprising a casing,. a member pivoted on the casing and having two stops engageable with the casing to determine two ex- 4 treme positions and which is provided inside the casing with spaced jaws, spring contacts inside the casing one of which is biased toward and yieldingly held against one of said jaws and the other 01' which is biased to spring yieldingly away from said one contact and said one jaw thereby tending to separate said contacts, and a bowed resilient member confined at its ends and arranged at its center between the, other jaw and said other contact and which is operated by movements of the jaws to snap suddenly past its center position in opposite directions to close and separate said contacts, said member with the jaws being of insulating material and having associated therewith a lever pivoted on the casing and having a portion operatively engaging a recess in the member.

6. A switch comprising a casing, a member movably mounted on the casing and which is provided inside the casing with spaced jaws, spring contacts inside the casing one of which is biased toward and yieldingly held against one of said jaws and the other of which is biased to spring yieldingly away from said one contact and said one jaw thereby tending to separate said contacts, and a bowed resilient member confined at its ends and arranged at its center between the other jaw and said other contact and which is operated by movement of the jaws to snap suddenly past its center position in opposite directions to close and separate said contacts, said member with the jaws being of insulating material and having associated therewith a lever pivoted on the casing and having a portion operatively engaging a recess in the member.

7. A switch comprising a support having mounted thereon two spring contacts biased to spring apart at their ends and having portions adjacent their other ends separated by an insulator and secured to the support, a bowed leaf spring having its ends so confined that it snaps back and forth between two positions on opposite sides of center and having its center operatively engaging the first end oi one of said contacts, and actuating means including connected spaced parts embracing between them the first ends of the contacts and the center of the bowed spring.

8. A switch comprising a support having mounted thereon two spring contacts having their ends secured to opposite sides of the support and having contact portions at the center of the support engageable with each other and biased to spring apart, a bowed leaf spring having its ends so confined that it snaps back and forth between two positions on opposite sides of center and having its center operatively engaging the contact portion 01' one of said contacts, and actuating means including connected spaced parts embracing between them the first ends of the contacts and the center of the bowed spring.

. RAY W. SCOTT. 

